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David Kopielski
67 articles

1/48 Italeri F7F-3 Tigercat

February 15, 2020 · in Aviation · · 9 · 3.1K

The -3 Tigercat is a sleek looking aircraft that was built and entered service very late in world war II and also utilized in the Korean war. This 1/48 kit was a nice build but required a base to have it sit on the landing gear correctly due to limited space to add weight. Side note, The real aircraft sat on it's tail when it's fuel tanks were empty! I added the wheel chocks, drums, ammo box,and rope to the base. Check out the entire build from start to finish in my build log https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f7f-3-tigercat/

Reader reactions:
11  Awesome

5 additional images. Click to enlarge.


9 responses

  1. Nice ! The coolest looking Grumman prop. cat {to me]. The old Monogram kit is a tail dragger too.

  2. Nice, clean model! One of my favorite from the Korean era.

  3. Lovely looking aircraft. They didn't seemed to be too concerned that it was a tail sitter and they also used a fuel drum to avoid it...

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  4. Great build David. I see you've kept the weathering to a minimum unlike George's dirty bird. I can't weather a Tigercat either. Too used to seeing them as pristine warbirds and the planes so pretty it seems a shame to do it. Since Terry Dean doesn't look like he's doing nose weights anymore I'm making masters for Monogram's B-29. I'll make one for this kit too. (I used sheet lead left over from when my Dad built a radiology lab on mine. 1/8" thick and you could cut it with scissors but I'm running out.)

  5. Always thought the Tigercat was the best looking plane Grumman ever built. Shiny and clean makes it look even better.

  6. Great job here David @davids_models. Love the Tigercat. Was lucky enough to be at an airshow a few years ago and see two of them together. My mages are on another drive away from me at the moment, but here are two from last year in Houston.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  7. That's a nice-looking Tigercat! Well done.

  8. I love planes from this era especially in this colour scheme, definitely better left unweathered.

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